TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
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Annual to tree
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate to whorled, simple to compound
Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower, 1many, generally arrayed in cymes, generally subtended by ± calyx-like involucre; flowers 1many per head
Flowers bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, ± small, of several types; calyx 0 or modified into pappus of bristles, scales, or awns, which is generally persistent in fruit; corolla radial or bilateral (rarely 0), lobes generally (0)45; stamens 45, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, often appendaged at tips, bases, or both, filaments generally free, generally attached to corolla near throat; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, style 1, branches 2, generally hair-tufted at tip, stigmas 2, generally on inside of style branches
Fruit: achene, cylindric to ovoid, generally deciduous with pappus attached
Genera in family: ± 1300 genera, 21,000 species (largest family of dicots): worldwide. Largest family in CA. Also see tribal key to CA genera: Strother 1997 Madroño 44(1):128. See glossary p. 25 for illustrations of general family characteristics.
Annual or perennial herb, generally ± woolly or tomentose
Leaves alternate, sessile, entire
Inflorescence: heads disciform, many, small, ± sessile in clusters; involucres ± cylindric to spheric, often bell-shaped when pressed; phyllaries graded in several series, transparent to opaque at tips or scarious ± throughout; receptacle flat, naked
Pistillate flowers many, in several series; corollas very slender, minutely lobed, cream to pale yellow or tip reddish
Disk flowers few; corollas ± cylindric to funnel-shaped, whitish to purplish; anther bases short-tailed; style branches wider at tip, truncate
Fruit < 1 mm, oblong; pappus of many fine bristles, bases sometimes fused
Species in genus: ± 120 species: worldwide
Etymology: (Greek: lock of wool)
Introduced |
Perennial 540 cm, from creeping rhizome and leafy stolons, unscented
Stems few-branched, densely tomentose; internodes long
Leaves: basal 210 cm, lanceolate to oblong-spoon-shaped, petioled, green above, densely white-tomentose below; cauline 28, 1540 mm, linear-lanceolate, not decurrent
Inflorescence dense, leafy-bracted, spheric; involucre 44.5 mm, cylindric; phyllaries brown, bases loosely tomentose
Flowers 2030; pistillate corollas ± 3 mm
Fruit: pappus bristles falling separately
Ecology: Moist, grassy places, open woodland
Elevation: < 800 m.
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, Outer North Coast Ranges
Distribution outside California: native to Australia